Machine for making buckle-frames



G. R. KELSEY.

MACHINE FOR MAKING BUCKLE FRAMES. No. 323,155.

(No Model.)

Patented July 28, 1885.

UVAZMMM m UNiTnn STATES PATENT Cr tics.

GEORGE R. KELSEY, OF WEST HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

MACHINE FOR MAKING BUCKLE-FRAMES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 323,155, dated July 28, 1885.

Application filed May 18, 1885. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE It. KnLsnY,

' of \Vest Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented new Improvements in Machines for Making Buckle- Frames; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with accompanying drawings, and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in

Figure 1, a top View of the lower die, showing the feeding devices; Fig. 2, an under side view of the upper or moving die; Fig. 3,atransverse. section through. the two dies and feeding device, cutting through the cavity C and the rib d at the point of first operation. Fig. 4, a transverse section through the two dies at the second operation-4311M is, through the rib hshowing a side view of the bender; Fig. 5, a perspective View of the blank for the frame as prepared for introduction to this apparatus; Fig. 6, a perspective view of the buckle complete; Fig. 7, the blank with its two legs fiattened, as by the first operation of this appatus.

This invention relates to an apparatus for the manufacture of that class of buckleframes which are made from wire bent to form the bar upon which the tongues bear, the ends turned into a position at right angles to the bar, and then bent around the .tongue so as to hinge the tongue to the frame, commonly known as Hartshorn Buckle, the machine being adapted to produce the frames in accordance with Patent No. 316,790, granted April 28, 1885; and the invention consists in the construction of the apparatus, as hereinafter described, and particularly recited in the claims.

The blank for the buckle-frame is made from a piece of wire cut to the required length and bent to shape, as seen in Fig. 5, a representing the bar upon which the tongues are to bear, and the two ends I) b the portions which are to be bent around the tongue to form the hinge, and as seen in Fig. 6. The bar a is required to be flattened, as seen in Fig. 6, to ive a broad surface upon which the tongues Indy rest, and the two legs 5 b are required to be flattened and bent under toward the bar, as seen in Fig. 7, preparatory to receiving the tongue, after receiving which the ends are bent over onto the tongue-piece, as indicated in Fig. 6.

A represents the lower die, which is fixed upon the bed of a common power-press in which avertical reciprocating slide is arranged above it, or the press may be adapted specially for the purpose, the press itself constituting no part of my invention 5 B, the upper die, which is fixed to the slide of the press and so as to reciprocate with it up and down from and toward the die below. The upper face of the die A is constructed with a longitudinal recess, C, and at the rear edge of this recess is a rounded rib, d, (see Fig. 3,) the length of this rib being somewhat greater than the length of the leg portion of the frame. The outer edge of the recess C is undercut, as at 6, Fig. 3. The upper surface of the rib (1 corresponds to the shape of the inner side of the flattened portion of the legs to be produced. The under face of the upper die, B, which is to work in con junction with the rib d, is seen in Fig. 2. Upr on its under surface it is grooved longitudinally, parallel with the rib d, as at f; but transversely in the grooved portion f cavities g are formed, corresponding to the surface of the bent portion of the legs to be produced.

In rear of that portion of the die included in the rib d a channel, D, is arranged, through which buckle-frames may be passed onto the die over the rib d and into the recess C. To properly introduce the frames through this channel, a vertical feeding-tube, E, is arranged over the channel, the interior of the tube corresponding to the shape of the frames, as indicated in Fig. 1, so that a column of frames may lie in said tube one upon another, the bottom frame of the column lying upon the surface of the channel D. The tube terminates distant from the bottom of the channel equal to the thickness of a single frame, as indicated in Fig.3. In the channel a slide, F, is arranged beneath the lower end of the tube, and so that when the slide is moved forward, as from the position in Fig. l to broken lines in that fignre, it will take the frame at the bottom of the column and carry it from the tube forward onto the die over the rib d, carrying the back of the.

frame to the forward edge of the recess 0 and beneath the overhanging front 0, as indicated in broken lines, Fig. 1, and as seen in Fig. 31 This leaves the ends I) of the frame rest ing on the rib, and when so resting the die B is brought down,'and the faces of the cavities g g strike upon the upper side of the legs and bend them down onto the rib, as indicated in Fig. 3, thus flattening the under side of the legs, that being the inner side when the legs are bent around the tongue. The outer surface will conform to the shape of the cavities g, and may be of any desirable shapeimmaterial to this invention. This flattening of the legs throws the metal to the right and left, so that the flattened portion is wider than the diameter of the frame. After the ends of the legs have been thus shaped the frame is moved longitudinally onto the second part of the die for the second operation of flattening the bar and bending the legs. To this end the channel G is continued, as at G, Fig. 1, also seen in Fig. 4; but in this portion G of the recess the overhanging front edge, e, is omitted, in order that the upper die may strike upon the bar of the frame to operate upon it. The overhanging portion 6 may also be omitted at the other end of the die'; but I prefer to employ it, as it insures the proper location of the frame in the recess for the first operation. The recess extends longitudinally in the opposite direction. In that recess a slide, H, is arranged for longitudinal movement, and so that after the first operation the slide H, if movedto the left, will take with it the frame and partially form and carry it to the next position. (Indicated in Fig. 1.) At this second point there is a rib, h, which is in the form of a bead on the angle of the recess, as seen in Fig. 4that is to say, it is undercut on its rear surface-so as to leave the rib projecting from the surface of the recess upward and also rearward. WVhen the partially-formed frame is thus placed upon this second part of the die, its legs project rearward beyond the rib, as indicated in Fig. 4. The part of the die B which is to now operate upon the frame, as seen in Figs. 2 and 4:, is constructed with a longitudinal cavity, *5, corresponding to that portion of the legs which lie immediately above the rib, and from this cavity cavities Z are formed, extending forward, in shape corresponding to the rounded wire of the end portions of the frame. Between the end cavities and corresponding to the straight portion of the bar the surface is flat and so as to strike directly upon the bar portion of the buckle and flatten it, as indicated in Fig. 6. This portion may be ornamented, as indicated in Fig. 2, or left plain. In rear of the rib h a bender, I, is hung upon a pivot, m, the nose of the bender extending forward toward the rib, and so that as the blank is moved onto this part of the die the legs pass beneath the end of the bender, asindicated in Figs. 1 and 4.. The nose of the bender is held to its up position by a spring, J (see Fig. 4,) the spring yielding for the descent of the nose. Upon the rear edge of the second portion of the die B a downwardly- -projecting finger, L, is provided, extending the frame and swages the bar into shape. The

bender, continuing its downward movement, turns the ends of the legs around and beneath the rib, as indicated in broken lines, Fig. 4, thus completing the frame preparatory to the introduction of the tongue. Then as the next frame is advanced for-the second operation the first frame so finished will be ejected from the machine, the bender rising under the ac tion of the spring J as the die above rises. By this method of bending the frame it willbe observed that the bend is made from the outer end of the legs toward the frame,in accordance with my previous patent, before referred to, and thereby avoids the short bend at the junction of the hinged portion with the frame employed in the previous method of manufacturing this class of buckles.

I have represented the die B as having its face constructed to form the two parts in one die; but it will be understood that these two parts may be made separate, as indicated in broken lines, Fig. 2, and so that the part for the second operation,which flattens the bar of the frame, may be changed and others substituted for it when a different style of frame is required.

The two feeding-slides may be operated by hand, or they may be in connection with the mechanism of the apparatus so as to operate automatically, such connection of feedingslides being common and too wcll known in this class of machinery to require particular description or illustration.

The feeding-slide F may be omitted and the blanks introduced by hand between the dies. So, also, the slide H may be omitted and the frames moved from one position to the second by hand; but for obvious reasons I prefer to employ the slides.

I claim 1. The herein-described dies for forming buckle-frames, consisting of two parts, A B, the one part, A, constructed with the longitudinal recess 0, and with a rib, (1, at its rear edge corresponding to the inner surface of the first bend to be made on the legs,.and with a second recess, G, forming a continuation of said recess 0, with. the rib h at its front edge overhanging that front edge, and in shape corresponding to the bend of the legs to be made, the second die, B, constructed with transverse cavities g corresponding to the rib d and the outer surface of the first bend of the legs, and with a second longitudinal cavity, '6, with cavities ll, extending therefrom forward, corresponding to the end portions of the frame, combined with the bender I, arranged in rear of said rib i, and adapted to turn the end portions of the legs down around the rib, substantially as described.

2. The herein-described dies for forming buckle-fran1es, consisting of two parts, A B, the one part, A, constructed with the longitudinal recess 0, and with a rib, d, at its rear edge corresponding to the inner surface of the first bend to be made on the legs, and with a second recess, G, forming a continuation of said recess 0, with the rib h at its front edge overhanging that front edge, and in shape corresponding to the bend of the legs to be made, the second die, B, constructed with transverse cavities g g, corresponding to the rib d and the outer surface of the first bend of the legs, and with a second longitudinal cavity, 6, with cavities Z Z, extending therefrom forward, corresponding to the end portions of the frame, combined with the bender I, arranged in rear of said rib i, and adapted to turn the end portions of thelegs down around the rib, and longitudinal slide H, adapted to move through the said recess 0, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The herein-described dies for forming buckle-frames, consisting of two parts, A B, the'one part, A, constructed with the longitudinal recess 0, and with a rib, d, at its rear overhanging that front edge, and in shape corresponding to the bend of the legs to be made,

the second die, B, constructed with transvere cavities g 9, corresponding to the rib d and the outer surface of the first bend of the legs, and with a second longitudinal cavity, z, with cavities Z Z, extending therefrom forward, corresponding to the end portions of the frame, combined with the bender I, arranged in rear of said rib i, and adapted to turn the end portions of the legs down around the rib, a channel, D, in rear of said rib d, a vertical feedingtube, E, and slide F, adapted to work through said channel beneath said tube, substantially as and for the purpose described.

GEO. R. KELSEY.

\Witnesses:

JOHN F. BARNETT, ELIAS T. MAIN. 

